The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-10-20
GENERAL IlAltKEls,

a Letter from his nrother.in-Law-uI
@ Early Llfo.
H'Do'sGEN. HARKRR Posr No. Q, GAR, !
DEPARTMENT OF NEW JRRsEY,
PnLADRLrnIA, September IS, 1887.
20 Or. J. n Todd *. Y.
| DEAR sin:-The heading OF this lette,
will recall to mind many events in The
army life Of tho gallant soldier, General
Charles G. Harker.
My object in writing to you is 10 know,
II only by letter, ono who was cloaely In
Innate with him In his military career.
You were his surgeon, and as such knew
very much Of his inner life and WINS hon.
cred with his complete confidence; hence
I write you. '5s ;.
I saw In the Constitution Of Woodbury.,
N. j., a letter copied from tho INTELLl.
oENcER, aligned by you and giving tho
sketch you wsote OF Gen. Hafker. !"
am brotheI.in-law oil the General, hsy-
ing married hin eldest sister in 1910, when
he was o boy fourteen yesra Of age. In
1857, on tho death OF bis mother This fa-
ther died in 1881, took his little sister
In my family and Charley entered the store
OF Hon. Nathan 7. Stratton, who, in 1854,
sent him to West Point, from whence he
graduated with high honora in 1858. For
yosfs he wGa stationed on tho Pacific
coast, and on the breaking out OF the late
Rebellion President Lincoln sent for him,
and he wss appointed in the Army Of
the Ohio. He was home only short time
when commissioned as Colonel, and only
orcs, for very abort time, aiter he joined
tho Army Of the Cumberland. l did not
aes him at either time, IS WAS myself
an officer in Gen. Phil kearney's Fi,at
New Jerrey Brigade, and at the time OF
bis death ! was preparing to join him in
the Southern campaign.
My good VITA This aia.er) joins mo in
thanking you moat kindly for the gsner.
GUS and heartfelt tribute to his memory,
written for the INTELLIGENcKn.
Yours in F., G. u L., -51l
FRANK II. CoLEs,
Late First Lieut., Gen. Kearney's Frat
Brigade.
In connection with tho above, it is no!
on! OF place to print the following heauti-
lul tribute to General Harker, which, in
the form Of newspaper clipping, is at.
tsched to Mr.. Coles letter:
In Uemoriam id Astrae."
".rhere is one, sway thsre in Georgia, OF
whom think with On aching heart
Brigsdier General Charles G. Harker. So
young-not tTsnty-nine--so conrteoua 60
generous, 30 modest, go winning, so gal.
liant, with an eye that takes the breath, ;
cEn !. be the shot wss ever moulded that
could chill such vigorous life, and still
heart 80 noble? A Colonel, at first OF the
Goth Ohio, be waa at Shiloh, 1T Oorinth,
at Stone River, a. Chickamaugs, at Mis-.
sion and Rocky Face Ridges, and hero
everywhe1e I knew him well. With
tbs trankness aud simplicity OF boy he
united the Gaoh Of q Marion and the wig
dom OF veteran. I sew him earn his
'starS' at Mission Ridge az he led On hia
brigade Ike the tenth wave OF the sea,
right into the he'll Of splintery fire and
shattered shell. I saw him the next
morning; he eaid nothing about himself
-nota word-but everything about some
valiant Lieutenant, come gallant fellow
in the rank and Gle. Ihad to 20 elsewhere
for details OF his own Dtory. And he is
dead! For them that loved him longest,
Gcd strengthen them, Young General,
good night! Good night 10 thy iorm, but
good morn to thy fame" R